The families of the 29 men who died inside the Pike River mine have abandoned their efforts to secure a recovery operation for the bodies of their loved ones.
Alan Monk, whose brother Michael died at Pike River, said mining experts working for Solid Energy and the families had "locked horns" over the possibility of a recovery operation.
They had assured families there was no safe way to enter the mine without risking lives, he said.
"That was never what the families have wanted. The risk to human life is just too great to go do anything. This has been the first time that anyone has got together and locked horns and looked at the big picture and said 'this is it'."
Families have been relentless in their campaign for a recovery operation since getting the news their loved ones hadn't survived an explosion which ripped through the Pike River mine in November 2010
They were upset at the realisation the bodies would likely never come out of the mine, Mr Monk said.
However, the families had always said if someone looked them "in the eye" and told them a recovery was impossible they would abandon their efforts.
"This is what anyone who has lost a family member would do. You keep trying until you know for sure."
Mine buyers Solid Energy earlier said the company was committed, along with the government, to a body recovery if it is "safe, technically feasible and financially credible to do so''.
But company officials told families there was only a 5 to 10 per cent likelihood of a successful recovery - and any operation could be years away.
